Design, Architecture, Gardens, Southern California Living

A-Frame restaurant Culver City: A sneak peek

IHOP architecture is hard to miss. Just a passing peek at its high-pitched, cerulean blue roof is often enough to trigger visions of syrup dispenser trios and table-side coffee pitchers.

When restaurateur David Reiss and chef Roy Choi decided to take over a long-defunct IHOP on Washington Boulevard in Culver City, they hired designer Sean Knibb, who opted to work with the signature '60s look instead of fighting it. The owners even decided to call the establishment, which will serve Korean-inspired food, A-Frame.

Keeping that classic roof line, Knibb went about streamlining and opening up the 1,700-square-foot space. He had the original Douglas fir ceiling sandblasted, and then he clad the walls in new wrap-around knotty pine. The copper-topped bar is surrounded by contemporary stools.

Knibb, who is also a landscape designer, paid special attention to creating an indoor-outdoor flow. The outdoor areas have been planted in a fashion that he calls an "urban meadow," with ornamental grasses as well as herbs to create cozy, modern eating areas. Super cool design detail: Above the outdoor tables and chairs, Knibb refashioned hoop skirts into one-of-a-kind lighting.

The makeover calls to mind another Culver City hot spot, about a mile west on Washington, where L.A. architect Barbara Bestor turned a former Shakeys into a sleek and warm indoor-outdoor Pitfire Pizza eatery.